HENRY COLLINS, SR.

On 1 September 1654, Daniel King of Lynn, gentleman, and his "now wife" Elizabeth sold to "Henry Collens Sr. of the same town and county, husbandman," ten acres of fresh meadow and six acres of land and ten acres that were old Goodman Fitche's and four more acres of fresh marsh^[31]. On 14 March 1671/2, "Henry Collings, Sr., of the town of Lynn,... Yeoman," sold to Andrew Mansfield 5-1/2 acres in Reedy Meadow^[32,33].

Henry further was appointed Selectman for the town of Lynn on 31 March 1661, 4 February 1662/3, and 23 November 1666^[32,36]. He was appointed Lynn Constable on 12 July 1642 and in June 1667^[37]; served on the Committee to authorize the felling of trees on 15 May 1671^[38] and was appointed Tithingman on 26 June 1677^[32,39].

To satisfy a debt of the town of Lynn, the marshal, Robert Lord, went to the house of Henry Collins and attempted to collect the debt. Witness Edward Ierson deposed that "Collins told the marshal that the debt was not his, and that he should go and take the common, and the marshal said if Collins paid it, the town should pay him back. Then Collins told him that he should have twenty acres of his own land about his house, or he said, 'here is the town common before my door, take that for your satisfaction,' all of which the marshal refused'^[17]. Collins was arrested and the marshal attempted to take him to jail, but the neighbors would not help him, and even hindered him, as John Hathorne did, saying hat 'the marshal was a lying, prating fool and knave, and would prove him so'^[17]. The court found for Robert Lord, with no visible penalty to Collins^[18], but repercussions for years later appear in the form of minor court cases^[19].

On 7 April 1681, Henry Collins brought slander charges against an intemperate neighbor, 'being desirous to vindicate the suffering name of God and mine own innocency and honesty, which is highly defamed by obscene and slanderous speeches divulged by John Davis of Lynn and his wife to the blurring my reputation among Christians in reporting that jurisdiction having provided that no person's good name or reputation should causelessly be defamed, I do therefore seriously apply myself to your honors to take such a course whereby God's glory and my suffering name may be vindicated'^[20]. There is no record of the court's decision.

Henry was still deposing in court as late as November 1682, when he described laying out several farms in Lynn 1637^[21]..." ^[22]

"In his will, dated 11 February 1686/7 and proved 31 March 1687, 'Henry Collins, Senior, of Lynn, aged 82 or thereabouts, being weak and infirm in body' confirmed the gifts of land given to 'my own natural children or those that stand related to me by marriage with any of my daughters' including 'my son Johnson upon marriage with my daughter'; 'my dear and loving wife, who hath ever been tender of my and industrious in her place in procuring what outward estate God hath bestowed upon us' to receive the benefit of all the housing and lands; 'my movables, chattels, cattle, etc. 'at her disposal to either 'my own chiledren or my grandchildren as she shall see cause at her decease'; after wife's decease, lands and meadows wheresoever divided equally 'among my three sons, Henry, Joseph and Benjamin, only my eldest son Henry have 30 pounds worth of land more'; to 'my son Benjamin,' ten acres of land in my planting field'; to 'my daughter Margery,' £30; to 'my daughters Hannah and Elizabeth,' £20 a piece; 'as for my son John deceased his portion he received in his life time and so that his child4en do greatly and peaceably enjoy the same'; 'my children' to be dutiful and tender to 'their aged mother'; 'my loving wife and eldest son, Henry Collins,' executors; 'Mr. Oliver Purchase and Mr. Jeremiah Shepard' overseers^[23].

The inventory of the estate of 'Henry Collins Senior of Lynn,' presented 31 March 1687, totalled £474 10s., of which £406 was real estate: 'The dwelling house and barn with all other housing with the orchard and land therein,' £70; 'land, upland and pasture land, meadow salt and fresh,' £315; and '80 acres of wilderness land up in the country so-called but sold, £21^[24].

On 13 December 1687, 'Ann Collins of Lyn..., widow and relict of Henry Collins Sr. of Lynn, deceased and Henry Collins, no Senior of Lyn Aforesaid, son of Ann Collins aforesaid, executors to the last will and testament of Henry Collins Senior deceased,' confirm to Thomas Bancroft Senior of Lynn the sale of 'a certain parcel of land containing twenty acres by estimation situate and being in Lyn bounds up in the country so-called'^[25] On 31 December 1687, ' Ann Collins of lyn..., widow and relict of Henry Collins Sr. of Lynn, deceased, and Henry Collins, now Senior of Lyn aforesaid, son of Ann Collins aforesaid, executors to the last will and testament of Henry Collins Senior decease,' confirm to John Bankecroft of Lynn the sale of 'a certain parcel of land containing twenty acres y estimation situate and being in Lyn bounds up^{[ in the country so-called'[26] The dates on these two deeds raise the suspicion that one of them was recorded incorrectly , and that both instruments were in fact executed on the same day..."[27]}

On 30 November 1666 when Elizabeth was 20, she married John TOLMAN, son of Thomas TOLMAN Sr. & Sarah [surname not known], in Lynn, Essex co., MA^[28]. John was born circa 1643, as estimated from his death information. He died in Dorchester, Suffolk co., MA on 1 January 1724/5; he was 82^[70]. He made Freeman in 1678^[70].